Baby with Rare Two-Faced Condition Dies Hours After Birth in Erbil, Iraq

Baby with Rare Two-Faced Condition Dies Hours After Birth in Erbil, Iraq
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A baby born with two faces died just one hour after birth on Tuesday in Erbil, Iraq, due to Diprosopus, a rare and fatal congenital disorder, local media reported. The baby, one of premature twins delivered at seven months at Newroz Hospital, had duplicated facial features on a single head.

The other twin survived and is stable. The parents, first cousins aged 17 and 20, were unaware of any abnormalities during pregnancy. Doctors performed an emergency C-section after the mother experienced severe pain.

Diprosopus, or craniofacial duplication, occurs in about 1 in 180,000 to 15 million births and results from abnormal activity of a protein vital to facial development. Most cases are fatal due to severe associated anomalies. The mother is recovering well. While cousin marriages slightly increase genetic risks, experts say such extreme conditions remain exceptionally rare.